Higher Calling

As you can tell, I haven't posted to the blog in a while. In fact, most of you have probably stopped checking it (for good reason). I realized that when I created the blog I really needed it. It was a time where so many things were running through my head all the time that I needed a place to put it all down. Recently, the need has been less for me to reflect in this format, which has resulted in less posts. What this will look like in the future I do not know, but if you'll "stay engaged" with me at different times I hope we can make connections that otherwise would not be there.

Ever since I voted yesterday, I have felt at peace about my decision. Yet, one thing is so important to me about the results and about our reaction to politics. I have not been a "post a passive-aggressive, clearly-one-sided-yet-I'm-not-just-going-to-come-out-and-say-Vote-for-______ message on my gchat or Facebook status message" kind of person and I do not believe that gets us anywhere. I want people to know how I voted based on their knowledge of my convictions, not based on their knowledge of my threats of this world going to hell if we don't elect in one certain way. Because I don't believe we would. This time, though, it was time for change...and I strongly believe that. But, I also believe that the fanaticism over Obama has risks. Those are risks I'm willing to take and that is why I voted for him, but it leads me to the purpose for this post.

I sent my brother and dad an email yesterday and it goes like this:

"Fellaz,
I kinda had a cool moment in the booth today when I voted. I had my blank card (paper ballot in good 'ole Harrisonburg) and got ready to mark in the circles for my vote and kinda realized how little control these people on the card really have in the grand scheme. I just ducked my head under the little barriers where I was standing and said a quick prayer. I'm a skeptic of people when they say they're praying for politicians because I'm not sure how much of that is truth and how much of that is a tactic to persuade others to vote a certain way. But, I really was just taken over by this feeling of smallness. Today is a huge day in our history. But is a blink of the eye in comparison to eternity. Many of the conversations I've had with you or other friends during the election season have provided many perspectives on what is right and what is wrong about the different choices for President this year. I only know one thing, though, and that is that there is a plan for our country and for this world that only God knows. I prayed in the voting booth that whoever is selected asks Him for guidance and lives out that plan in the best humanly possible way. I think we have to trust that and I think we have to genuinely pray for the next President because they will undoubtedly be tempted to give in to worldly things. I challenge us as Gibson men to not become tempted by those worldly things in the coming days, whether they be racist, sexist, or ageist. We will have the opportunity, as always, to make decisions about our response. It is now our responsibility to stand by our faith in a higher calling no matter whom is elected."

I pose that same challenge to you. And I hope it will be effective in creating the change we really need.

The Good Ole Whirlwind

It's obviously been a long time since I posted, which makes it difficult to get back on the horse and write something new. There's this internal pressure to make it meaningful and connect to my mission of this blog without wasting your time on something that just fills space. My decision today is to share a couple thoughts/happenings since I last posted and how I've made meaning of them.

1) Getting married was the most self-revealing, self-reflective, and appropriately focused time of my life. I will replay images of Kristin on that day in my head for the rest of my life and into eternity. Each person present gave a symbol of support, which will lift us up throughout our marriage.

2) Buying a house has to be one of the most humbling experiences of all time. When you realize how privileged you are to do something like this at the age of 25, you better step up, make the best of it, and not screw it up. I feel pretty small in the grand scheme of things when I think about the fact that we own something. It's ours...and it's up to us to make it thrive. No pressure.

3) Fantasy football! I already typed a lot of text, then deleted it because my expression of my love for fantasy football doesn't really make sense when I write it out. The bottom line for me is that I strongly believe that fantasy football is more than just a useless hobby. I really think that most people won't appreciate or realize the role of fantasy football in our lives until many years have passed. It breeds loyalty towards friendship and acts as a communication tool for people of all kinds. I believe I will look back on my life when I'm 75 yrs. old and notice that playing fantasy football each year with friends was one constant among many changes. There's a picture of half of the draft board from this year's live draft to the right.

4) The social environment that we had in Arlington was truly unique. One of the biggest challenges for me since coming to Harrisonburg is less accessibility to great friends. Friendships will grow, I know, and I will put effort into making that happen. But, we were so fortunate in Arlington to be so close to so many good friends. Those times set the bar very high.

5) A friend of mine, Josh Kagan, is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. His experiences there inspire me and I think they are worth reading. If you have time, check out his blog. He articulates himself so well and educates readers successfully through his reflections. This blog really embodies reflection in action.

Life is good. I will hopefully be posting to the blog more regularly now that things have slowed down a bit.

Theorize This...

A portion of my graduate work concentrated on cultures within the university environment. Thanks to Peter Magolda, I think regularly about how small things can send a huge signal about what is important, what gets left out, and how to make meaning of those two. I will say that I learned a ton from his questioning of root paradigms, what "counts as good," and how history and context matter. This stuff really applies to life on a daily basis, no matter how explicit or implicit we are about understanding it.

A popular topic within student affairs and Peter's classes is generational theory. Right now, it is also common to wrap all of our current students into the category of the "Millennial Generation." A lot is being written about this generation because we (I think I'm a cusp Millennial) are supposedly high achievers, highly praised, highly supported by our parents, used to working in teams, highly stimulated and used to quick responses, and short attention spanned (There are multiple sources for this information, but these are the traits I remember off the top of my head). Over the past couple of days, this topic has come up a lot in professional and personal conversations, so I wanted to post about two things.

1. My main concern with generational theory is that is categorizes the majority culture. Clearly, these "traits" of the generation generalize the group of people born in the 80s and 90s. While this can be helpful, the question I pose is, can it be harmful? In some ways, I think the answer is yes. As we hopefully move towards a more culturally aware and proficient society, using theories to educate individuals on large groups of people (i.e., generations) will be detrimental to our growth as a society. In other words, all generational theories do is make the majority culture look like the norm and continue to make others who don't fit into the "categories" feel oppressed. As the majority is written about, discussed, and catered to in educational environments, the theories reinforce themselves and therefore reinforce their status as the majority. I believe this can cause serious problems. Just some food for thought.
2. I think this blog is a phenomenal conversation starter. I'd love to know what you think about it and how it provides a productive or destructive argument in the mix. It makes me go back to my first point and say, "I don't fit into this generalization," but then again I found myself saying, "Guilty as charged" to some of the points in this blog. It's almost inspiring in a weird way.
   

All of this is just some good material that I think is worth talking about. It's one of those topics that I don't think always has to be a deep conversation, but I love stuff that gets so many people fired up. You could talk to your friends, parents, and grandparents about this and get a totally different reaction. Either way, it primes the pump for critical thinking and social interaction. Go get 'em.

Back to the Future

I found this video about social media and think it is very helpful in further understanding the topic. I know you may have been thinking that this conversation was over, but I'm still grappling with social media's affect on everything SOCIAL.

What I like about this video is that it breaks it down into terms that are easy for me to digest. When I think about what I want to do on this blog, I think that I'd like my "flavor of ice cream" to be something that continues to serve my original purpose of encouraging people to think about leadership differently and consistently, talk about bold ideas that shape our world, and consider reciprocity through a unique lense.

Let me know what you think of the video. Do you buy that social media is here to stay? What will be the "next" social media outlet that takes the individual "ice cream stores" out of business?

LeaderWha?!

I've been working with a planning team this summer at GW to create an identity for the leadership development program here. Our plan is to launch a new face for leadership in the fall in hopes that we can connect current leadership-based programs on campus and introduce a common, identifiable thread of leadership so that students and administrators clearly notice what it is we're talking about when we say "leadership." We set out to do something significant and I strongly believe that the process we've at times struggled through will serve us well.

Yesterday, we had our "big meeting" to solidify a definition, mission, and vision for leadership at GW. We spent ample time in past weeks chewing on the theoretical underpinnings of what we'd create, and we took time to ask the tough questions about what the culture is like at GW (i.e., what would and wouldn't work here that is dependent on the history and context of this institution).

I'm interested to hear what you think about our results.

Definition of Leadership:
Leadership is a developmental process which empowers oneself to engage others in an ethical movement towards positive impact.

Mission of Leadership Development Program at GW:
We are committed to encouraging character development and supporting leadership potential in all students.

Vision of Leadership Development Program at GW:
Every student at GW will reflect and act on their experiences through the lense of leadership.

Give them a Hug

I don't think I'll often post a link and simply say, "Take a look and think."

I've been thinking for days about how I could appropriately post my feelings about Tim Russert's death and Father's Day. I didn't have a huge personal connection with Tim or Meet the Press, but the whole thing shook me. I thought long and hard about writing something about both topics at the same time and then I thought deeply about writing a shout out to my father, grandfathers, and the Father of the Constitution for all they have done for me. But I decided to be thankful in my own way. What I wanted to say didn't apply to my mission of this post: to share my ideas and hear yours.

I cannot, though, deny that the reflections on Tim Russert in the links below make me consider my daily actions, appreciations, praises, and relationships. In fact, the People article sums up what I believe to be more important than any word I could ever express on this blog or any conversation that can be had person-to-person. This simple expression of how family and faith boil down as the foundations of one's life remove every other insignificant thought in my head. Who am I? and What do I believe? are the questions I can ask myself to know my identity and values. Family and faith - I feel good about those as my answers.

The video of Luke Russert goes without explaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy-YIb9UWlw

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20207591,00.html

It's all about Cycles

So, I have officially purchased a motorcycle which I will be legally able to ride this Sunday. My mind is all over the place regarding this decision, but I have to admit that I couldn't be happier and that nothing is going to stop me. Since the purchase became a reality, some of those who were once completely on board with the idea (i.e., Kristin and my dad) have expressed their concern. In no way does this shed light negatively on them, but proves that embarking on this adventure of motorcycledom affects more people that just me. Over the last couple days, I've reflected a lot on why it is that I'm doing this...to prove to myself that it's a good decision. I've realized that I'm still unexplainably excited about it for two main reasons:

1. I can't deny that everything in my life filters through my understanding of leadership. Call it what you like (I am also hesitant about people who wear "leadership" on their sleeve), but the many facets of leadership and how they play out in my daily life through reflection and action keep me constantly convicted about what it means to be relational, serve others, and live to the fullest. My spiritual beliefs also encourage the decisions I make and create a positive fork in the road for my spontaneous and adventurous desires. When it comes down to it, I believe leadership is often just as much about what gets us revved up as it is about what we actually do. This quote by George Bernard Shaw articulates my emotions about why I am ready to jump on a motorcycle and ride:

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

With no intention of sacrificing humility, I really want riding a motorcycle to be part of my legacy. Similar to skydiving, I'm ready to know what it is about riding a motorcycle that will equate to my belief that I've jumped out of a plane at 14,000 ft., so there's nothing I can't do.

2. When I started this blog, I mentioned that one of the things that I wanted to talk about was what I've learned about mutuality through multiple sclerosis. I'm going to tangent off of that a bit, but have to be honest that my internalization of my multiple sclerosis diagnosis enhanced my need for speed. I hate to bring up "the MS card," and I hope you know I wouldn't talk about it for selfish reasons.

One of the craziest things about having MS is that there's no clear prognosis for how the disease will play itself out in the future. We may have a cure in a few years. I may see a strong decline in my health from the condition I've been blessed so far. I may not. The parts of my body that are affected could dramatically change. You get it. But that is the scariest and most encouraging part of the whole deal at the same time. Simply said, if my legs, arms, eyes, etc. aren't working right in the future I'll be bummed that I didn't take advantage of this opportunity now. I'm able NOW and that makes me thankful.

But it's not merely personal. I don't have a clear understanding of how this will happen, but I need to devote my life in some way shape or form to this cause. My doctor when I was first diagnosed told me, "This is your opportunity." Little did he know, this simple comment made a huge difference in my life. I was optimistic about the whole thing, but this made me want to do something BIG about it. I can understand if you're lost in the mix here of everything I'm talking about, but it comes full circle for me. I'd love to root my service with the community now and in the future in my experiences with MS. Getting a motorcycle and riding the life out of it relates to the Dalai Lama's statement that, "If I seek enlightenment for myself simply to enhance myself and my position, I miss the purpose, if I seek enlightenment for myself to enable me to serve others, I am with purpose."

I realize I'm doing this because I want to...and I don't deny the component of selfishness. But, I'd love to talk with the masses about this experience some day for what I believe it is worth. For me, that is more than just what it appears on the surface.

The Bar is Set High

This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to go home to Virginia Beach to welcome home the soldiers from the 2-183d Cavalry Unit of the US Army from their deployment in Kuwait/Iraq, my brother being one of the soldiers. Never in my life have I been so in touch with a feeling of loyalty and pride in my fellow human beings. I was taken away by so many things, but one thought kept running through my head and still resonates with me right now: Diversity.

I preface this by saying that I realize my perspective on diversity is privileged. I am shaped by my experiences, and I am fortunate that those experiences have caused me to dissect my privilege and what that means in this society. I have, though, pledged to reach my hand over the divide whenever possible. I think this guy has a lot of good stuff to say that relates to what I'm attempting to articulate.

Without straying too far from the point here (which I've already done, highlighted, and deleted), I want to acknowledge and celebrate what I would consider the most real example of diversity I've seen in my life. Let me paint the picture:

I'm driving my car to Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach, VA to meet my family and others who are gathered to see their loved ones arrive from a one year deployment. As we enter the base, active duty soldiers direct us to the lot to park our cars. The first realization of "difference" enters my mind as I consider the fact that somewhere they probably had a ceremony just like this to see another Unit off to Iraq to replace 2-183d. Those emotions replicated what I felt a year ago...very different than today. Those feelings began to come full circle. I get out of my car and walk towards the field where the soldiers are supposed to arrive. There are dozens of boxes of small American Flags on 2 ft. long wooden dowels. Every person (~300) on the field is holding an American Flag. On the field, there's a stage, podium, and taped off area where families aren't supposed to stand.

Once we find our "spot," I look around this field and come to this insane appreciate for the different kind of people there. It is so unspokenly clear that all of these people are assuming nothing but good about each other. Nothing else matters besides that their brother, father, son, uncle, nephew, husband, or boyfriend is minutes away. There's country music on the sound system, with a playlist of songs that have the word "America" somewhere in them. There's white women with tattoos sitting on a blanket next to us with tattoos all over their body. There's a little black boy kicking a ball into the "don't stand" zone who laughs every time he has to run out to get it. Others standing around smile because he has this joy about him...so care-free. There's elderly men and women sitting in wheelchairs throughout the field, mustering up the strength to waive the flag in the air for an hour straight while we wait. Colonel Chase, USMC (my grandfather and hero) stands 50 yds. away from the field and crowd because he is too strong to be seen amongst the masses with his oxygen tank-on-wheels and tubes in his nose. His presence is there ahead of everyone else's, though.

The crowd gets excited by the site of charter buses off in the distance. Fifteen minutes later, the sound of Harley-Davidson motorcycles pierces the silence. The motorcycles proceed slowly towards the crowd and soldiers can be seen faintly walking behind them. The demographic of the motorcyclists add another population to the mix.

Hundreds of family and friends line the street and yell greetings and thanks to the soldiers as they walk by us, stone faced as ever. I've never been a part of anything like it. These men that just served our country in the Middle East are walking up the street and for a split second all differences are merged, forgotten, and simplified by one thought: we are ONE. I recognize and appreciate the importance of how we are all different...and those components of difference allow us to learn from each other. I do not disregard the aspects of our culture that make us unique (i.e., ethnicity, sexuality, age, ability, etc.), but instead want to emphasize how much I appreciated this moment in time where I believe all of us were proud about the exact same thing. The women with the tattoos, the boy playing with the ball, the wheelchair-bound folks, Col. Chase...bonded over a unique moment.

It is with thanks to the soldiers of the US Army that I write this post. Their service has gone further than they realize, and I believe it provided a glimpse into how we are intended to co-exist as humans. That moment set the bar for what I will measure all diversity efforts. If we can recreate those feelings of mutuality and loyalty in our daily lives as leaders and collaborators, we will undoubtedly change the society in which we live. We can be bold, be conscious of ourselves and others, and educate our friends, family, and colleagues. Some of that may even require that we follow the advice of the closing screen of "Higher Learning," which simply says UNLEARN.

ONE love.

A Blog's Audience

The topic of blogging came up in a recent conversation with a good friend, Mike Toner. I brought up my constant intrigue with the role of blogging in the world. I conveyed to Toner that I am not 100% sold on the idea that social media serves an integral role in interconnecting people. My quest to better understand the world of social media has caused me to turn to the source, my blog, for some potential answers. It is my belief that one benefit of this outlet is connecting with people whom I may not otherwise connect (i.e., "communicat[ing] my ideas and hear[ing] yours" as I said in my first post). Here is my attempt.

My concern about social media rests within three main points.

1. I strongly argue that understanding an audience is a key component of interconnecting people. Central to my leadership philosophy is the phrase, "Gauge people then Engage them." A main point of debate in my conversation with Toner was the conflicting views we have on the role of an audience in the world of social media. I posit that understanding an audience and actually having one are required before I attach the word "social" to anything. If there's no one reading this, or some folks that I do not have the opportunity to know (and they never comment), then nothing social is happening. What makes people want to read someone else's blog that they do not know? How can I get better at relationship-building without knowing and understanding my audience?
2. Blogs lack creative controversy. One of the things that makes us learn as humans in a dynamic society is our ability to engage in meaningful dialogues with each other on a regular basis. If you disagree with this post, we have gained more than if you passively agree. Posts must cause the reader to invest in a thought, then in some capacity discuss it with someone else in order for anything "social" to happen. Does this happen more often than not with social media? That is my million dollar question.
3. Blogs that serve as journals or resource libraries disrupt the level of person-to-person interaction that I deam invaluable. Am I now just arguing against the internet as a whole? No. But I think that as we move further towards purely online resource libraries (talk to any high school student now about resources they use to write a paper and I'm sure wikipedia is central to their arsenal) and communication outlets we move further away from our best primary source...an in-the-flesh person. Instead of rushing back online (another problem) to see if anyone responded to this post, shouldn't I just expect that someone will call me and talk about it?
   

What I value most about this venue for discussion is that I am still learning from it. It is currently giving me the opportunity to reflect, improve my self-awareness, and offer a contrasting opinion. This post is proof that I am thinking deeply about something that I wasn't thinking about months ago. I offer up my thoughts not as criticism against those who deeply believe in this, but to solicit their opinion towards the dissenting (and maybe converting) opinion.

Leadership Resources

I have been working on a project for work recently that I wanted to share with you. I have been charged with looking at one of our leadership development programs and assessing how we should change, recreate, and/or suspend it to better align with our mission. My work on this task brings back many great memories of my Program Evaluation class with the one and only Peter Magolda at Miami University. Essentially, I'm doing "backyard research" for all you CSP junkies.

Anyway, what I see as relevant for this blog is not what the program is about or the work I have done assessing it, but instead the information I have found that I think you might find useful. Check it out and let me know what you think...there are a lot of cool opportunities out there for people like us. I just wonder how often we take advantage them. The web page where I combined this information for students is here.

Please also share resources you have so I can add them to this list.

Am I really doing this?

I'm not a "blog person." But yet I've decided to create this blog as a way to communicate my ideas and hear yours. I say I'm not a "blog person" because I think face-to-face interaction will never lose its value in society. I believe so strongly in the power of dialogue and the importance of what can be learned from the simple presence of another human being.

But I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that we are privileged to live in a society that also benefits from technological advances that allow us the opportunity to have non-traditional dialogue. That is my hope for this blog.

I'll be explicit about the three things I'd like to talk about on this blog:

1. I want to talk about leadership
2. I want to talk about the human spirit and bold ideas
   
3. I want to talk about what I've learned about mutuality through Multiple Sclerosis
   

These are the things that will make me want to look at this blog on a daily basis...and hopefully bring you back every once in a while to check it out. In that sense, it has a built in self-assessment. We'll see if it works.